WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – An American exchange student and her mother were rescued over the weekend in the New Zealand wilderness, where they were lost for five days after setting off on a day hike. A helicopter pilot spotted the large “help” signs they had made from fern fronds.
After thinking she would die, 22-year-old Rachel Lloyd is now recovering in Wellington Hospital with her mother, Carolyn Lloyd, by her side. The pair recounted their ordeal to The Associated Press.
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DAY ONE:
Carolyn Lloyd, 47, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was visiting her daughter for about a week, and Rachel was eager to show her some highlights of New Zealand. They had planned to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a popular route that was the backdrop for some of the scenes in “The Lord of the Rings” movies. But the winds that day were too strong, so they changed their plans to do a day hike in the expansive Tararua Forest Park. It was close to where Rachel was completing a semester abroad at Massey University in Palmerston North, after finishing most of a double degree at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.